Valery Gergiev

Russian conductor. Born 2 May 1953 in Moscow, Soviet Union. He studied at the Leningrad Conservatory. His debut as a conductor at the came on 12 January 1978. In 1988, he was appointed Music Director of the Mariinsky Theatre, and, in 1996, he became its Artistic and General Director (leading the orchestra and opera and ballet companies). Principal conductor of (1988-present), (1995-2008), (2006 to 2015), (2015 t…